The Time Is Now (Moloko song)

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"The Time Is Now"
UK CD single artwork
Single by Moloko
from the album Things to Make and Do
Released20 March 2000 (2000-03-20)
GenreDisco
Length
  • 5:18 (album version)
  • 4:32 (UK edit)
LabelEcho
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Moloko
Moloko singles chronology
"Sing It Back"
(1999) 		"The Time Is Now"
(2000) 		"Pure Pleasure Seeker"
(2000)
Music video
"The Time Is Now" on YouTube

"The Time Is Now" is a song by Irish-English electronica-pop duo Moloko, released as the lead single from their third album, Things to Make and Do (2000). Members Mark Brydon and Róisín Murphy conceived the song as an acoustic dance recording, not wanting to turn it into a loud, drum-heavy track, unlike much of their earlier work. Characterised as a "disco anthem", "The Time Is Now" has been described as one of Moloko's least electronic efforts and a musical standout of the 3rd millennium's outset, receiving positive reviews from music critics. The song's multiple cover artworks were designed by Lizzie Finn and photographed by Barnaby & Scott.[1]

"The Time Is Now" was released on 20 March 2000 by Echo Records and charted at number two on the UK Singles Chart the same month, outpeaking the band's previous single, "Sing It Back", which reached number four. In May 2000, the song was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry for sales and streams greater than 400,000 units. It found success in several other European countries as well, becoming a top-20 hit in four of them. It received a nomination for the "Best British Single" at the 2001 BRIT Awards, as did its music video for "Best British Video".

Background and release

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Moloko producer Mark Brydon recalled, "It's probably the closest we've come to sitting down with a guitar and writing a song. We thought we'd try and make a track with the same structure as a dance record but keep it acoustic. There was this temptation to put on a big snare or something, but every time we did that it upset the balance. Being constrained by budget, we couldn't really afford the full-on disco strings, so it's not exactly Love Unlimited Orchestra. We got this quartet in to do more of a Curtis Mayfield thing. We think of them as 'street' strings."[2] Echo Records released "The Time Is Now" in the United Kingdom on 20 March 2000 as the lead single from Things to Make and Do across three formats: two CD singles and a 12-inch vinyl single.[3][4]

Composition

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"The Time Is Now" had been described as a "disco anthem", containing a varied blend of string instruments, an acoustic guitar that opens the song, and high-pitched vocals similar to the Bee Gees.[5][6] The track ends with a fade, accompanied a looping, "chilling" piano.[6] According to the digital sheet music published at Musicnotes, the record is set in common time with a key of C major and a tempo of 124 beats per minute.[7]

Critical reception

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"The Time Is Now" received favourable reviews from music critics.[8] Andy Hinds of AllMusic, in a review for Things to Make and Do, said "check out the nylon-string guitar in the flamenco-flavored 'The Time Is Now,' which faintly recalls Basement Jaxx's 'Rendez-Vu' and it adds a timeless quality to the music overall".[9] Swiss radio station director Sacha Horovitz lauded, "'The Time Is Now' is the best song we have at the moment! ... They love it and we love it, so everyone's happy!"[10] Jo Heuston of Liverpool radio station Juice 107.7 also praised the song, calling Moloko an "exciting" band.[10] James Keith of Complex UK referred to "The Time Is Now" as "beyond ubiquitous", going on to say that it has become a paragon of the new millennium.[11] Pop culture website Freaky Trigger compared the "shimmering" acoustic intro of the song to Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel's 1975 single "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" and called the string arrangement "perfect", referring to the track as "one of the most emotionally affecting Top 10 hits for years".[6]

The song was nominated for "Best British Single" at the 2001 BRIT Awards but lost to Robbie Williams's "Rock DJ".[12] The same circumstance occurred with its music video, which was nominated for "Best British Video" but also lost out to "Rock DJ"'s clip.[12]

Commercial performance

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In the duo's native United Kingdom, "The Time Is Now" debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart on 26 March 2000, unable to outsell Melanie C's debut collaboration with Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, "Never Be the Same Again".[13] To date, it is Moloko's highest-charting single in the UK, as well as their joint-longest-charting single alongside "Sing It Back", spending 13 weeks in the top 100.[14] In January 2024, the British Phonographic Industry awarded the song a gold certification for sales and streams exceeding 400,000 units; it was the 73rd-highest-selling song of the UK in 2000.[3][15] In Ireland, the single first appeared on the Irish Singles Chart at number 43 on 23 March 2000,[16] climbing to its peak of number 10 three weeks later.[17][18] Like in the UK, it spent a total of 13 weeks on the Irish chart.[19] At the end of 2000, the song was ranked at number 84 on Ireland's year-end chart.[20]

In mainland Europe, the song reached number three in Greece.[21] It was a top-20 success in the Flanders region of Belgium and in Finland, achieving peaks of number 15 and number 12, respectively.[22][23] It entered the top 40 Iceland and Italy,[24][25] falling shy of the mark in Switzerland, where it settled at number 41.[26] It found moderate chart success in Germany and the Netherlands,[27][28] peaking within the top 50, and it also appeared on Ultratip Bubbling Under listing of Belgium's Wallonia region.[29] Overall, it peaked at number 14 on the Eurochart Hot 100.[30] In Australia, "The Time Is Now" debuted at number 50 on 21 May 2000 and climbed to number 36, its highest position, two weeks later, staying three more weeks in the top 50 before dropping out.[31]

Impact and legacy

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British electronic dance and clubbing magazine Mixmag included "The Time Is Now" in their list of "The Best Basslines in Dance Music" in 2020, writing, "Another hit from the heady days of the new millennium, on 'Time Is Now' Moloko set out to make an Epic Club Banger using instruments and players. Here they're accompanied by a quartet and that strolling bassline sounds like the first Aperol Spritz of summer to us. Blue skies, a cool breeze and no worries other than where the next bev is coming from. Happy times."[32]

Track listings

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Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[3] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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In 2014, the song was featured in the Enhanced Version of Grand Theft Auto V's Non-Stop-Pop radio station.[44] It was also used by Sky Sports for their coverage of the Premier League from 2004 to 2009.[45]

References

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  1. ^ a b The Time Is Now (UK CD single liner notes). Moloko. Echo Records. 2000. ECSCD88.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ Q, May 2001
  3. ^ a b c "British single certifications – Moloko – The Time Is Now". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  4. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting March 20, 2000: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 18 March 2000. p. 31. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  5. ^ Howorth, Adam (15 April 2000). "Album Spotlight" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 12. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Robin (1 April 2000). "Moloko – 'The Time Is Now'". Freaky Trigger. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  7. ^ "The Time Is Now by Moloko – Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Inside M&M This Week" (PDF). Music & Media. 22 April 2000. p. 3. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Things to Make and Do". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  10. ^ a b Howorth, Adam; Stavenes Dove, Siri (22 April 2000). "Moloko's Time Is Now" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 6. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  11. ^ Keith, James (16 April 2020). "Premiere: Swiss Artist EDX Shares an Uplifting Cover of Moloko's "The Time Is Now"". Complex UK. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  12. ^ a b "Brits 2001 Special". UKMix. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  13. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 26 March 2000 – 01 April 2000". Official Charts Company. 26 March 2000. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Moloko: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  15. ^ a b "Best Sellers of 2000: Singles Top 100". Music Week. 20 January 2001. p. 25.
  16. ^ "Top 50 Singles, Week Ending 23 March 2000". GfK Chart-Track. 23 March 2000. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  17. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Time Is Now". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  18. ^ "Top 50 Singles, Week Ending 13 April 2000". GfK Chart-Track. 13 April 2000. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2020. See LW column.
  19. ^ "Top 50 Singles, Week Ending 15 June 2000". GfK Chart-Track. 15 June 2000. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  20. ^ a b "Top 100 of 2000". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Archived from the original on 2 June 2004. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 19. 6 May 2000. p. 13. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Moloko – The Time Is Now" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  23. ^ a b "Moloko: The Time Is Now" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  24. ^ a b "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (Vikuna 30.3. – 6.4. 2000)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 31 March 2000. p. 12. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  25. ^ a b "Moloko – The Time Is Now". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  26. ^ a b "Moloko – The Time Is Now". Swiss Singles Chart.
  27. ^ a b "Moloko – The Time Is Now" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  28. ^ a b c "Moloko – The Time Is Now" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  29. ^ a b "Moloko – The Time Is Now" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  30. ^ a b "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 15. 8 April 2000. p. 15. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  31. ^ a b "Moloko – The Time Is Now". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  32. ^ "The Best Basslines In Dance Music, According To You". Mixmag. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  33. ^ The Time Is Now (UK cassette single sleeve). Moloko. Echo Records. 2000. ECSMC88.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  34. ^ The Time Is Now (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Moloko. Echo Records. 2000. ECSY88.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  35. ^ The Time Is Now (Dutch 12-inch single sleeve). Moloko. Roadrunner Records. 2000. RR 2111-6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  36. ^ The Time Is Now (Dutch CD single liner notes). Moloko. Roadrunner Records. 2000. RR 2111-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  37. ^ The Time Is Now (Dutch maxi-CD single liner notes). Moloko. Roadrunner Records. 2000. RR 2111-3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  38. ^ The Time Is Now (Australian & New Zealand CD single liner notes). Moloko. Mushroom Records, Echo Records. 2000. D 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  39. ^ "Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 6 April 2000". GfK Chart-Track. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  40. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  41. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  42. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  43. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2000" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  44. ^ "Non-Stop-Pop FM". GTA Base. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  45. ^ Watach, Nestor (17 August 2024). "Ranking every song used for Sky Sports' Premier League intros – Celeste, Kasabian, Moloko…". Planet Football. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
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